Jordan: Clemency for Anti-Israel Conspirators

Eight convicted Muslim extremist terrorists from the southern Jordanian city of Ma'an were released from Jordanian prisons this week, after they were granted clemency by King Abdullah II. Three of them were convicted during the past year on charges of establishing a cell that intended to carry out attacks against Israel from Gaza, according to the newspaper Al-Sabil. The other five were sentenced to death in 2006 for violent disturbances four years earlier in Ma'an in which six people died, including two police officers.

The king reportedly granted the clemency following harsh criticism from Ma'an residents for not including them in a general amnesty last June. This week, the Muslim Brotherhood made a show of strength, ahead of upcoming elections, organizing prayers by thousands in the streets of the capital Amman and other cities.